Pune-based Latif Magdum, secretary of Azam Campus and national coordinator of Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), was among the Muslims invited for the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday. He, however, decided not to attend. Magdum said he was busy making arrangements for a function of MRM, a ‘sister concern’ of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
“It was a big honour for me to get an invite. I am sad that I missed a chance to witness such a historic moment. However, the decision to not attend the ceremony was correct as duty comes first,” said Magdum, a resident of Bibvewadi.

Magdum is a key coordinator of the MRM function in which Maulana Mufti Omka will be felicitated by RSS leader Indresh Kumar for his initiative of using computers and modern techniques in teaching Arabic, Urdu and English in madrassas, on Tuesday at Patrakar Bhavan here.

“The felicitation programme is based on Modi’s theme of “Ek hath mein Quraan aur dusre haath mein computer” (Quraan in one hand and computer in the other). Maulana Mufti Omka has done a good job for education and modernisation of Muslims. I thought that instead of attending the swearing-in ceremony, if I work towards making this programme successful, it would be a real contribution to the Modi government.”

Magdum said he earlier worked with the Congress, but had been associated with the RSS, mainly with MRM, for the past 14 years. He has been secretary of Azam Campus for several years. “I also worked for BJP’s minority cell in Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat during the the Lok Sabha elections,” he said. It was his “bad luck” that he was in Delhi on May 25, for a joint meeting of MRM and BJP’s minority cell, but had to return to Pune without attending the ceremony on May 26, Magdum added.

As reported by The Indian Express on Monday, Magdum was among the three dozen Muslims invited for Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.